Rotary cutters are agricultural implements used for cutting large areas of vegetation, such as grass, weeds, shrubs, and the like. Rotary cutters often come in the form of attachments configured to be pulled behind a heavy-equipment machine, such as a tractor, which pulls the rotary cutters across the ground on which the vegetation to be cut is growing. Specifically, a back side of the tractor can be connected to a front side of the rotary cutter, such that the rotary cutter can be pulled by the tractor. In addition to pulling the rotary cutter, in some instances, the tractor can provide the rotary power required to operate the rotary cutter's cutting blades. In other instances, the rotary cutter has its own, internal power source for operating the cutting blades and other features of the rotary cutter.
Rotary cutters often include one or more wheels to support the rotary cutter while it is being pulled by the tractor. Generally, the wheels are supported on a back side of the rotary cutter so as to support the rotary cutter as it is being supported and pulled at its front side by the tractor. Some previously-used rotary cutters include fixed wheels that are individually secured to a back side of the rotary cutter. However, such wheels may not be ideal because they do not function efficiently on rough terrain. Furthermore, such wheels may not hold the ground well, especially on uneven terrain.
An additional style of rotary cutter uses a “walking-tandem” wheel configuration. In such a configuration, pairs of wheels are positioned one behind the other and are configured to pivot/rock about a pivot axis located between the wheels. For example, a walking-tandem wheel assembly may include a first wheel positioned behind the back side of the rotary cutter, as well as a second wheel positioned behind the first wheel, with a pivot axis located between the first and second wheels. Walking-tandem wheel configurations can be beneficial because, for example, they can hold the rotary cutter better on steep slopes, they can facilitate improved cutting on rough terrain, and the can reduce mechanical fatigue. Nevertheless, walking-tandem wheel configurations have several inherent disadvantages. For instance, the wheels are required to extend significantly behind the rotary cutter, which reduces maneuverability of the rotary cutter. Additionally, such a configuration places significant strain on the wheels and the wheel assemblies, especially when turning. Furthermore, in many instances, one or more of the wheels will drag along the ground during turning maneuvers, thereby cutting ruts in the ground and/or damaging vegetation.
Therefore, there exists a need for a wheel assembly for a rotary cutter that provides for enhanced maneuverability and stability of the rotary cutter, while including components that reduce fatigue-related issues of the wheel assembly such that the wheel assembly will have a prolonged, useful life.